So I got a call from one of our HR rep to see if we can go through someone's computer to see if they typed up an inappropriate letter to a co-worker. Our HR believes they know who the individual was, but are not 100% sure. That is why they want us to go through the computer to see if we can find any traces of this letter. My question is in regards to the limitations privacy of this user. I don't believe there is any pending legal action against the user at this time, so what are the privacy limitations of going through the users computer with out their knowledge?

Its entirely up to the policies the employee signed when they were hired. Most organizations require employees to sign numerous documents including a computer or technology use policy that explicitly states that there should be no expectation of privacy for information stored or transmitted by company resources.

Find out if your HR requires employees to sign off on something like this.

Keep in mind that some countries and states grant employees certain rights regarding privacy regardless of company policy. To dig a little deeper I'd search around for your state/country and "computer privacy" in the workplace or something similar. See what you can dig up.

If you care to tell us where you're from, maybe a forum member with insight into that region can help out too.